The acting leader of the Labour Party, Charles Mangion, has appealed to the government to consult the opposition on matters of national interest, notably foreign affairs.
Speaking at Vittoriosa, where the MLP marked Freedom Day, Dr Mangion criticized the government for having reactivated Malta's membership of Partnership for Peace without prior consultation.
He underlined the importance of Freedom Day, which recalls the closure of the British military base on March 31, 1979. Dr Mangion said that the departure of foreign military forces meant Malta was completely free for the first time in its history, a development which had been beneficial for social-economic growth.
Dr Mangion led an MLP delegation in wreath laying on the freedom monument. The delegation included deputy leader Michael Falzon and general secretary Jason Micallef.
Flowers were earlier also laid by a GWU delegation headed by general secretary Tony Zarb.
Official celebrations will be held tomorrow morning when the AFM band and a guard of honour will march to the monument. Flowers will be laid by President Eddie Fenech Adami and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.